Ryan Christie

I love the quote "hes too good for Bournemouth". I think someone needs to take a look at our midfield and realise he might not even be in our top 5 ;)

That kind of comment makes me laugh. Usually someone judging us by size of club rather than where we are now, current prospects etc. Basically ignorant.

If he'd joined say Fulham, WBA, Sheff U or even someone like Birmingham or Cardiff I doubt he'd be saying the same. Even though we're just as likely, if not more so likely to get promoted, plus we play good football too, unlike some of those.

Its more a statement of where Celtic and Scottish football is now, so he should be saving his annoyance with us and looking closer to home if they want to change things.
 
That kind of comment makes me laugh. Usually someone judging us by size of club rather than where we are now, current prospects etc. Basically ignorant.

If he'd joined say Fulham, WBA, Sheff U or even someone like Birmingham or Cardiff I doubt he'd be saying the same. Even though we're just as likely, if not more so likely to get promoted, plus we play good football too, unlike some of those.

Its more a statement of where Celtic and Scottish football is now, so he should be saving his annoyance with us and looking closer to home if they want to change things.

I think they would say the same about any of those clubs. Celtic and Rangers genuinely think they are bigger and better than almost all English league clubs.
 
I think they would say the same about any of those clubs. Celtic and Rangers genuinely think they are bigger and better than almost all English league clubs.

I wonder how much the downward spiral was due to the Rangers saga - can;t recall if it was already in a state of decline by then.

Turned into almost a complete joke the past decade or so.
 
Rangers choosing liquidation and loss of the clubs members licence has distracted the sfa, sfpl from managing for the future and how to increase sponsorship and tv income.

Since the rebadged club were awarded the licence in 2012 St Johnstone have won more major trophies than Stephen Gerrards TheRangers.

Levelling up or dumbing down? Probably too many clubs and too little youth development
 
It's a bit sad how much Christie joining us rankles the Glaswegian football fraternity. It really gives them the needle that he has joined a provincial English club on the south coast that has been third division for most of its history - with a stadium to match - in preference to one of the great Scottish Old Firm sides, because it is a better prospect for him both in financial and footballing terms.
I don't know either of them personally, but it seems to me that he left Celtic for pretty much the same reason that Eddie decided not to go there. They both seem to have very competitive personalities that make them want to really test themselves against their equals or betters every week. Playing for Celtic might give them perhaps half a dozen really testing games a season, while all the others are just a stroll in the park, which might be acceptable to some players or managers looking for easy success, but is nowhere near enough for true competitors. This might explain the mixed messages we got from Scotland about his commitment every week: he didn't bust a gut every game because he simply didn't have to.
During the lifetime of us older football followers there was always a constant stream of brilliant footballers coming out of Scotland, Shankly, MacKay, McNeil, Johnstone, Baxter, Gemmill, Law, Bremner, Lorimer, Robertson, Dalglish, Hansen, Jordan, Souness to name just a few, but now this flow seems to have all but dried up. Rather than get angry that AFCB is a more attractive proposition to an ambitious Scottish international than Glasgow Celtic, they should be looking closer to home as to why young Scots lads don't seem to have the drive to become top footballers like the great names of the past, and take some steps to rectify the situation and make their domestic leagues a lot more challenging.
 
Last edited:
Rangers choosing liquidation and loss of the clubs members licence has distracted the sfa, sfpl from managing for the future and how to increase sponsorship and tv income.

Since the rebadged club were awarded the licence in 2012 St Johnstone have won more major trophies than Stephen Gerrards TheRangers.

Levelling up or dumbing down? Probably too many clubs and too little youth development

Your beloved Celtic are every bit as much a part of the problem as Rangers. Both clubs suck the life out of the league and destroy the competition from within.
 
there was always a constant stream of brilliant footballers coming out of Scotland, Shankly, MacKay, McNeil, Johnstone, Baxter, Gemmill, Law, Bremner, Lorimer, Robertson, Dalglish, Hansen, Jordan, Souness to name just a few, but now this flow seems to have all but dried up.

I think you are perhaps being a little selective there, The players you quote were stretched across decades rather than being evidence of the strength of Scottish football in any single year. Shankly didn't even manage Hansen let alone play with him.

Perhaps the difference now is that rich English clubs like Chelski hoover up all the British talent and sit it in their reserve teams so that players aren't coming directly from Scotland.

I suspect there are just as many good Scottish players in the EPL but their effect has been diluted by the huge numbers of overseas stars we have now.
 
I think you are perhaps being a little selective there, The players you quote were stretched across decades rather than being evidence of the strength of Scottish football in any single year. Shankly didn't even manage Hansen let alone play with him.

Perhaps the difference now is that rich English clubs like Chelski hoover up all the British talent and sit it in their reserve teams so that players aren't coming directly from Scotland.

I suspect there are just as many good Scottish players in the EPL but their effect has been diluted by the huge numbers of overseas stars we have now.
That's quite true Nmj, but we are now two decades into the 21st century. How many great Scottish players have appeared on the scene during that period? Andy Robertson is the only one who immediately springs to mind. Kieran Tiernay might yet become one, but even he was born on the Isle of Man!!
 
I remember Franck Rolling saying that we were more professional (as a club, training, etc) when he played for us in League 1 than when he played for Motherwell? in the SPL
 
That's quite true Nmj, but we are now two decades into the 21st century. How many great Scottish players have appeared on the scene during that period? Andy Robertson is the only one who immediately springs to mind. Kieran Tiernay might yet become one, but even he was born on the Isle of Man!!
I suppose that also depends upon what you class as a 'great'. Bill Shankly was a fair to middling player who only ever won the FA cup. As a manager he was a great true.
 
Your beloved Celtic are every bit as much a part of the problem as Rangers. Both clubs suck the life out of the league and destroy the competition from within.
Man City, man utd, Chelsea, Liverpool all hoover up players from other EPL clubs.

AFCB have recruited Stacey, mepham, Kelly Pearson billing Brooks from other clubs.

Check the number of players from their development programs in the SPL clubs first team squads.
 
Man City, man utd, Chelsea, Liverpool all hoover up players from other EPL clubs.

AFCB have recruited Stacey, mepham, Kelly Pearson billing Brooks from other clubs.

Check the number of players from their development programs in the SPL clubs first team squads.

Are you honestly trying to argue that Rangers and your beloved Celtic are anything other than a massive leech on Scottish football?

Not only are they guilty of everything that the bigger English clubs are (and don't think the irony of your ”oh look an English squirrel" post went unnoticed) they also hoover up talent and fickle support in Scotland to a much bigger degree. Add to that the fact they've both been dining out on sectarianism for the best part of a hundred years and you have quite the moral high ground there Jim wouldn't you say?
 
Am I the only one a bit underwhelmed with Christie so far?
Few good chances hes not taken, some passes that have come off, I know is early days, but if he's going to be a starter think he needs to do a lot more

I think he is still adjusting to the greater intensity of matches in the Championship. He isn’t the ready made answer but I think he shows signs of what he can be once he is fully up to speed. And if it gives Brooks a kick up the backside to up his game, that is already a plus.
 
He doesn't feel like a natural fit out wide. I'm sure he can do a job but suspect we may see him play centrally more when Junior is back.

Meanwhile, not a bad thing for Brooks to realise he's gone from being touted as a potential PL top six player to on the bench in the Championship. He really needs to get his head down and rediscover that sparkle.

This might be the prod that he needs.
 
Maybe we should give him a chance to get unpacked. He was always going to find it harder than playing for Celtic against pretty mediocre opposition.
 
Am I the only one a bit underwhelmed with Christie so far?
Few good chances hes not taken, some passes that have come off, I know is early days, but if he's going to be a starter think he needs to do a lot more
Offered more than Brooks in his limited game time so far.
 

;